Michael Trucano

Michael Trucano is the World Bank's Senior ICT and Education Policy Specialist, serving as the organization's focal point on issues at the intersection of technology use and education in middle- and low-income countries and emerging markets around the world.

At a practical working level, Mike provides policy advice, research and technical assistance to governments seeking to utilize new information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their education systems.

A frequent public speaker on the use of technology in education around the world, and on ICT use for development (ICT4D) purposes more broadly, he is the principal voice behind the World Bank's influential EduTech blog.

In addition to his advisory work on projects funded by the World Bank and other international aid agencies and donors, he serves on a number of external advisory boards for non-profit groups and prize committees and organizes off-the-record efforts to help groups learn from 'failed' projects and initiatives.

On the research side, Mike leads the World Bank's related analytical work under its flagship Systems Approach for Better Education Results initiative as it relates to information and communication technologies (SABER-ICT).

Events
Mike is a frequent public speaker on the use of new technologies in education around the world, and on ICT use for development (ICT4D) purposes more broadly. He also regularly serves as a 'master of ceremonies' or moderator at conferences and industry events, including the annual global symposium on ICT and education in Seoul. He has helped organize and lead a number of FAILFaires, exploring how can people and organizations can more openly talk about, and learn from, 'failed' projects and initiatives, in the hope that sharing lessons from 'failure' might make 'success' more likely in the future. As part of his official duties, he co-chairs the World Bank's internal cross-sectoral thematic group on ICT and education, which helps to maintain the organization's internal knowledgebase on related topics and sponsors numerous speakers and knowledge-sharing events each year.

Other work
Mike previously served as the ICT and Education Specialist at infoDev, the multi-donor 'ICT knowledge shop' housed within the World Bank's Global ICT Department (GICT), where he coordinated activities related to information and communication technologies and the Millennium Development Goals ("ICTs for MDGs"), especially as they related to education. He also led infoDev's work exploring the use of various low-cost ICT devices to meet developmental objectives in the social sectors, and managed the program's mobile banking work.